West Milford school district amplifies security following Newtown tragedy

Increased security measures hit local schools in response to the Newtown tragedy.

The Monday following the elementary school shooting in Connecticut, West Milford’s school grounds were patrolled by the municipal Police Department for both protection and reassurance, according to Superintendent James McLaughlin.

"As a district we maintain close ties with the township’s Police Department ... so that our schools are as safe as they possibly can be," he said Tuesday.

Inside the buildings, a dedicated staff meeting set the tone for school on Monday, when counselors were circulating throughout the day to provide an outlet for conversation. During the school board’s Dec. 18 meeting, student representative Katie Schiller said kind words from a welcoming staff and the availability of counselors were especially comforting following the tragedy.

Since the events of Dec. 14, when 26 people including 20 first graders were shot by a 20-year-old who forced his way into their school in Newtown, Conn., the district has also required photo identification at the front door of its schools prior to gaining entry and again at the front office to ensure every adult in each school is identifiable.

After the Newtown tragedy, the superintendent said that parents, staff, and students could be justifiably anxious about the security of the schools – "a place that should serve as a safe sanctuary for the young." Still, he said the district has been making "maximum efforts" to implement precautionary measures.

StoneGate Associates of Holmdel was hired this summer at a cost of nearly $6,000 to provide emergency management planning consulting services for the district. McLaughlin said that StoneGate professionals have since conducted meetings with principals, the school safety team, and the police to develop a precautionary action plan to safeguard against a similarly tragic attack.

"A crisis clipboard has been developed and is now currently being sent to print," McLaughlin said. "Each classroom will have a crisis clipboard that ensures each teacher has appropriate directions for emergency scenarios. Training by StoneGate for our district staff has been planned for the January in-service day."

The district staff has been training in various emergency incident scenarios since September, however. Each month, schools perform a monthly crisis drill based on a different emergency scenario selected by a safety committee, McLaughlin said. Feedback from the previous drill is assessed during the monthly meeting with the school principals, he said.